Egg Freezing Process and Cost in Pune: A Doctor’s Guide
Egg freezing (oocyte cryopreservation) in Pune involves about 8 to 14 days of hormone injections, a short egg collection under sedation, and freezing the eggs by vitrification (fast freezing) in an ART Act registered clinic. The total cost covers medicines, scans, egg collection, lab charges and yearly storage. Your age at freezing affects results the most.
Many women in Pune ask me about egg freezing because they want more time: for a career, for the right partner, or before medical treatment. My aim is to give you an honest picture of the process, the costs and what egg freezing can and cannot promise.
Egg freezing in brief:
- A fertility check comes first: AMH blood test and an ultrasound.
- Hormone injections for about 8 to 14 days help several eggs mature.
- Eggs are collected in a 15 to 20 minute procedure under sedation.
- Mature eggs are frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen.
- Costs include medicines, the procedure, freezing and yearly storage.
- Freezing at a younger age gives better chances, but it is not a guarantee.
Who should consider egg freezing?
Egg freezing suits women who want to delay pregnancy, or who face a medical risk to their fertility. There are two main groups.
Medical reasons: cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation, ovarian surgery for endometriosis or cysts, or a low egg reserve found on tests. If you are about to start cancer treatment, ask your oncologist for a fertility referral before treatment begins. Timing matters.
Planned (personal) reasons: career, studies, or not having found the right partner yet.
What is the egg freezing process, step by step?
The egg freezing process takes about two to three weeks from the first test to freezing.
| Step | What happens | Time |
| 1. Assessment | AMH blood test, antral follicle count (ultrasound count of small follicles), blood tests | 1 to 2 visits |
| 2. Stimulation | Daily hormone injections, usually self-given at home | About 8 to 14 days |
| 3. Monitoring | Scans and blood tests to track egg growth and adjust doses | 4 to 6 visits |
| 4. Trigger injection | A final injection to mature the eggs | About 36 hours before collection |
| 5. Egg collection | A thin needle collects eggs through the vagina under ultrasound guidance, with sedation | 15 to 20 minutes, home the same day |
| 6. Vitrification | Mature eggs are frozen rapidly and stored in liquid nitrogen | Same day |
When you want to use them later, the eggs are thawed, fertilised with sperm using ICSI (injecting a single sperm into each egg), and the resulting embryo is transferred to the uterus. This is a separate treatment with its own cost.
How much does egg freezing cost in Pune?
The total egg freezing cost depends mainly on how much medicine your body needs and how long you store your eggs. Ask for a written estimate that covers every line below.
| Cost item | One-time or recurring? |
| Consultation and tests (AMH, ultrasound, blood tests) | One-time |
| Hormone injections | One-time per cycle (the biggest variable) |
| Monitoring scans | One-time per cycle |
| Egg collection and anaesthesia | One-time per cycle |
| Vitrification and lab charges | One-time per cycle |
| Storage | Recurring, usually yearly |
| Thawing, ICSI and embryo transfer | Later, when you use the eggs |
Costs people often forget:
- More than one cycle. If too few eggs are collected the first time, a second cycle means paying again.
- Storage fees. These add up over 5 or 10 years. Ask whether the first year is included in the package.
- Future use. Thawing, fertilisation and embryo transfer are not part of the freezing cost.
How many eggs should I freeze, and does age matter?
Your age when you freeze your eggs matters more than anything else. Younger eggs are more likely to be healthy. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) states that live birth rates appear higher for women who freeze eggs at a younger age.
There is no single “right” number of eggs. ASRM’s 2021 guideline found the evidence too limited to say exactly how many eggs a woman of a given age needs for a live birth. I will estimate a target for you based on your age and AMH, and tell you honestly if a second cycle might help.
Keep these two facts in mind:
- Frozen eggs are a chance, not a guarantee. Some eggs do not survive thawing, fertilise or grow into embryos.
- Many women never use their frozen eggs. In a ten-year study at one fertility centre, only 7.4% of women who froze eggs for planned reasons came back to use them. Many conceive naturally. Think of egg freezing as a backup plan.
What does Indian law say about egg freezing?
In India, egg freezing must be done at a clinic registered under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021. Before you start, know these points:
- Registration: ask for the clinic’s ART registration number and check it on the National ART and Surrogacy Registry.
- Written consent: you sign informed consent before treatment, including what happens to your eggs in future.
- Storage limit: Section 28 of the Act says donor gametes or embryos can be stored for no more than ten years, after which they are allowed to perish or are donated for research with consent. The wording does not clearly mention a woman’s own frozen eggs. [VERIFY with legal counsel how this applies to self-frozen eggs] Ask your clinic how they read this rule, and what happens at the end of the storage period.
- Age for later use: the Act permits ART treatment for women between 21 and 50 years. [VERIFY] Plan the age at which you might use your eggs, not just the age at which you freeze them.
- Your eggs are yours: eggs cannot be sold. Only you can decide their use, through written consent.
Questions to ask before you freeze your eggs
| Ask | Why |
| How many eggs do you expect to collect from me? | Sets realistic expectations based on your AMH and age |
| How many eggs survive thawing in your lab? | Shows how the lab tracks quality |
| What is included in the quoted price? | Avoids surprise bills |
| What is the yearly storage fee, and can it change? | Storage is a long-term cost |
| What happens if I move cities or switch clinics? | Eggs may need to be transported between labs |
| What happens when the legal storage period ends? | Avoids future confusion |
Walk away if a clinic promises a guaranteed baby, avoids showing its ART registration, or pressures you to pay the same day.
Planning egg freezing in Pune
Treatment needs 4 to 6 monitoring visits over about two weeks, often in the morning. If you work in Hinjewadi, Kharadi, Magarpatta or Baner, plan around peak-hour traffic and ask for early scan slots. Women coming from Pimpri-Chinchwad, Satara, Ahilyanagar or Solapur should ask which tests can be done locally. Take the day of egg collection off and arrange for someone to drive you home after sedation.
When should you seek urgent care during treatment?
Seek urgent care if you have severe belly pain or swelling, sudden weight gain, breathlessness, vomiting or very little urine during or after treatment. These can be signs of OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome). Call the clinic’s emergency number or dial 112.
Frequently asked questions
Is egg freezing painful?
The injections cause mild discomfort. Egg collection is done under sedation, so most women feel little during it. Some cramping and bloating for a few days afterwards is common.
Do hormone injections affect my future fertility?
There is no evidence that a stimulation cycle uses up your future eggs. The medicine rescues eggs that would otherwise have been lost in that month’s cycle.
Can I work during egg freezing?
Most women continue working. Plan for morning scans and one day off for egg collection.
Is freezing embryos better than freezing eggs?
Embryos generally survive freezing well, but freezing embryos needs a partner’s or donor’s sperm, and both people’s consent is needed later. Eggs give a single woman full control.
Can I freeze eggs if I have PCOS?
Yes. Women with PCOS often produce many eggs, so the dose needs careful adjustment to lower the risk of OHSS.
How long do frozen eggs last?
Eggs stay stable when frozen, but storage is limited by law in India. Ask your clinic about the allowed storage period and renewal.
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About Author
Dr. Supriya Puranik
Gynaecologist & IVF Specialist
MMC -072514 (1993)
Dr. Supriya Puranik, a renowned gynaecologist and infertility expert, leads the IVF & Gynaecology department at Sahyadri Hospitals Momstory in Shivaji Nagar, Pune. She is committed to helping couples overcome infertility challenges.
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